CSBG Archive
Valiant Comic Book Alphabet of Cool – W
I’ll admit, this is more of a symbolic one, sort of like J!
Enjoy!
Wipeout
That’s Wipeout on the bottom left. He was a rookie member of the group, H.A.R.D. Corps, which stood for Harbinger Active Resistance Division. It was a very high concept book, where a group of comatose people were given the chance to live again if the Omen Foundation were allowed to put technology into their brains that would allow them to access various Harbinger powers, Ultra Boy style (one at a time). They were then sent to fight against Toyo Harada and his Harbinger Foundation.
The first issue was notable for Jim Lee supplying a cover (anyone know who called in the favor to get Lee to do a cover?).
The book was written by the classic Iron Man writing team of Michelinie and Layton, with Mike Leeke on the art.
The comic was a basic war/adventure series. It was an entertaining comic – lots of action.
But each of the various members had their own little personality quirks. Wipeout was a surfer who did not like to use violence, instead using his kickboxing skills.
Other notable members included Hammerhead (Virgil) a tough bald dude, Shakespeare (Aaron) a less tough bald dude, Hotshot (Christine) who was female (and yes, that was a subtle commentary on her characterization), and Superstar (Rick) who was a thrill junkie.
Eventually, Mike Baron took over, and like all Valiant Comics, the end sorta went to pot, with the newer members hunting down the older members.
Luckily, Wipeout was cool enough not to do anything really wrong. I believe he basically sat out the last confrontations between the new and the old guard.
11 Comments
Sandy
May 14, 2008 at 11:56 am
I think the Jim Lee favor was called in by Abraham and his two friends, George Washington and George Washington.
Matthew Johnson
May 14, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I’m enjoying this series, Brian. How about setting your sights a decade earlier and giving us an Alphabet of Cool for Eclipse, that company that brought you every comic “from Aztec Ace to Zot!”
Lee Marino
May 14, 2008 at 1:47 pm
The Jim Lee story was told in a letter col, I believe. The then head of Valiant , Steve Massarsky (sp?) was an ex-Entertainment lawyer and gave Lee front-row U2 tickets in exchange for the cover.
Brian Cronin
May 14, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Thanks, Lee!
I THOUGHT there was some story about that.
FunkyGreenJerusalem
May 14, 2008 at 5:47 pm
He didn’t like violence so he used kickboxing….?
yo go re
May 14, 2008 at 8:13 pm
yes. Nice, peaceful kickboxing…
wwk5d
May 14, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Is it just me, or do Wipeout and Superstar look very similar?
Brian Cronin
May 14, 2008 at 9:31 pm
They look a TON alike.
That’s why I guess Superstar has the stubble – otherwise, no one would be able to tell them apart.
And as for the violence thing, I meant to write LETHAL violence.
FunkyGreenJerusalem
May 15, 2008 at 1:03 am
I dunno, I saw a Van Damme (?) film and they totally used Kick Boxing to kill people!
Jeff Ryan
May 15, 2008 at 6:11 am
>>I think the Jim Lee favor was called in by Abraham and his two friends, George Washington and George >>Washington.
Wow, you can hire Jim Lee do draw your cover for seven bucks? I can’t even get lunch ata fast-food frestaurant for seven bucks! Seriously, he could raise his rates. I’d pay up to $12 for an original piece of Jim Lee art.
C. Adams
May 16, 2008 at 6:22 am
I like Mike Leeke. Is he doing anything now or did he drop out of comics like a lot of Valiant creators?